Middle and Southern Colonies

The Middle and Northern colonies differed considerably in their geographical aspects, leading to dissimilar social and political features. The Middle colonies, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware all shared the benefit of flat land and rich soil, while the New England Colonies were left with a rocky landscape that made farming difficult. Thus, the New England colonies, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire thrived on lumber and fish, rather than crops. They developed a large shipbuilding industry, and due to the abundance of fish such as cod, their fishing industry grew as well. However, in comparison to the Middle Colonies, the New England colonies’ government revolved around religion. The Puritan religion was a major influence in the way of life and it affected the way they governed. The difference in the geography affects the way the Middle and Northern Colonies were able to thrive economically and socially, and the way they governed their people. The Middle Colonies’ social aspects revolved around vast farmlands, ideal for farming. The soil was rich and fertile, better than the New England Colonies, and the area had a mild climate with warm summers and cold winters. Education was less popular in importance, as most parents believed children should learn to run the family farm rather than focus of their studies. Because of the benefit of the soil and the excellent growing season, they socially focused on growing crops and farmed, but they had an important shipbuilding center as well. Additionally, New York and Philadelphia were two great areas that served the purpose of trading via all the harbors to import and export goods, including crops like wheat and grains. Unlike the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies had a lot of diversity. This is due to the fact that the Middle Colonies attracted various groups of people because they had a greater religious tolerance than the New England Colonies did,